Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1887-12-31
= rrairacide Hanged.

NiliSa Fiachum Was hanged in the
c,u.ty inii ysrd a. HsrIisonburs yesterday
10! the MURDER Of his brother Preston
Fipcuun, on October III. 1886 The coz
dennt,i fsan spent Inc -srIy part of Thursday
hight iu praying and singing with his spir-
iual advisers, the Rev. o 4. Bunting, and
J s Donavnn. Shortly after midnight he
Wsut 10 sIeep and slept sOuDdiy until 7:30 in
TINS noIning when be 6~oke dres- ed aud
a'e d bcar;y breakfast. About ten o'c oc d
:3vcysl ministers cuueSto the jail and eu-
sa9eG with bin in rel gious exercises, which
we're continued until Sheriff Lam enie, ed
hi csil to read the d, sth warrant. At IL so
y. n ne procession consisting of he sheriff,
three deputies, the minis ers aad The con-
euued r1an, left the cell. IL wus but 3
few steps 10 he engine of death. Tba mur
derer walked firmly up the steps, and reach
40. The platform gave ii nervous glance Ut
those h,ut hIm, and then Gxed bis eyes in
al upwerd gsZe nto space. Rev. Bunting
Offered saort prayer, alter which he
g,asp the henn of The coudrmn,d d uau,
aod Fu ,huGo aeciared he Was wiling and
:, ady to ,io
Have ,ou any remarks to make % asked
tue -h-'ii ss ne guided the doomed mani
lse' ii mlyou tie Irnp.
Il navc not" came Inc response, in 8
-iignriy ufmulous tone
Tue fpa prepara,ions were then quickly
NJ de, aud al II 81 be Irap was spruus l.
,t,i .t.ru miout,r Finchum wss declared TO
F.! oe c3ad rh+r. were but lew witnesses Of
;ht execu ion i,.r Il hundred tn;ds in each
du z.ii;n fton tue jail, i5e niltia were ca
euaid aud 10 one curing the lime OF Tue
5gecut,uu ~as allowed 10 pass the liues.
F! Ilucoum'v family hsiDg TOO poor 10 take
3ns5g.. of tEc ieuiain5 ihsy were inferred III
rOfter', field
| Ga tie l1,h oI October. 1886, the dead
lnoG, cf P e-ton Fincbum WAS found in a
'hlck bu>hy wood near Levy Ciarkes
hlacksul:th ebop, in the eastern part OF
K .ckingham county. There were bruises
oa the herd. and the right side Of be head
wes par,la'y blown away done. it was
evident, by the dlscDarse of u loaded gun in
BE- hands OF an a sss'in at short range.
William Fincbum was suspected Of the
murder, because of the improper relations
which were known 10 have existed between
HIM aud hls brotbei's wife. He wac arrest
ed and tried ID the County Cour; Of Rock
iogbam The testimony Vas entirely oi
i, y clrcumsiapIia character, but be. wse
convicted OF guutder in the tirso degree and
sen epcad to be hanged. & motion for 6
new rial was mafi,. based on the ground
! that the verdict was not sustained by the
evidence, but il wns overru!ed. Il writ a
error wes finally awarded ny one Of the
! Judges of The Supreme Curt Of Appeals
! 'Fhe csse ,1as then argu.d d before The Su
p.eDe Court, which rendered an opibion
/ that he lower court did not err in overrul-
| ing motion for now trial and that the
| iudg ment be affirmed. After ths last ray OF
| hope had been gone, on October 16tb, 1887
Fiuchum made q confession of the crime to
! bis spiritual adviser and several others. He
| said that he went into the woods with the
express purpose of killing his brother; that
| after they had drank brandy together Pres
| ton became drunk. He took no notice oi
! his movements. He then got up from the
ground, where they had been sitting, and
walked behind Pr ston and shot him in the
head Preston died instantly, but to make
sure of his mark the murderer dubbed bis
brother over the head. the murderer
olsimed thet his brothers. wife wos the cause
Of it, but that she knew nothing of his in
tepton TO kill his brother On October 18th
hs was enced to be ha9ged on Decem-
ber 16 b, but Governor Lee afterwards re-
spited him until yesterday. Finchum, since
bis s-uienca, was confined in an iron cage
10 the jail. Persons came and sang and
prayed with him, and ut bis desire minis
ter VISITED him He eaid that he had made
bis peace with God, and did not fear death
None of his family visited him during bis
confinement.